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The controversy over the State Library Victoria’s decision to cancel workshops run by authors who expressed pro-Palestinian views has escalated with some of the nation’s most respected authors launching a boycott of the 170-year-old institution.
Double Miles Franklin award winner Michelle de Kretser, Patrick White award winner Tony Birch and Victorian Prize for Literature winner Grace Yee have refused to work with State Library Victoria, citing concerns over its decision to cancel events hosted by writers Omar Sakr, Jinghua Qian, Alison Evans and Ariel Ries.
Double Miles Franklin award winner Michelle de Kretser.Credit: Joy Lai
The writers, who were to lead the library’s Teen Bootcamp workshops, were told in March that their services were terminated, with State Library management claiming concerns over “child and cultural safety”. All four had spoken publicly about their support for Palestine and criticised Israel’s invasion of Gaza following Hamas’ attacks on Israel last year. The library has continued to run other programs for children since then.
Birch, who is also a professor of Australian literature at Melbourne University, has declined any further work with the library, de Kretser has declined a significant writing commission from the library, and Yee withdrew from an artists-and-writers-in-residence program over the issue.
Four of the six writers who had been contracted to run the Teen Writing Bootcamps for State Library Victoria (clockwise from top left) Ariel Slamet Ries, Omar Sakr, Alison Evans and Jinghua Qian.Credit: Marija Ercegovac
Several State Library staff, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to talk publicly on the issue, told this masthead that Sakr’s social media commentary was specifically mentioned by library chief executive Paul Duldig as the reason for the cancellations in meetings with staff.
Two staff members who were in the room in one, and another staff member who heard it from people who had just left the meeting, said that when challenged about his looking at Sakr’s public commentary, Duldig allegedly responded: “You call it profiling, I call it risk management.”
The library did not respond to specific questions about Duldig’s comments to staff.
As this masthead reported last month, more than 100 staff at the State Library subsequently wrote to its chief executive expressing anger at the postponement of the workshops.